His n' Hers

HEY, EVERYBODY! (Assuming anyone is actually reading this)
I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season, and are now wallowing in post New Year's resolution regrets. But anyway, the new year is always a new start for everyone in some way, and I'm no exception. To explain, I wrote in my last post that Gerry and I finally got our lovely house and we were moving in February.

It's January 10, and the preparations are moving at a mad pace. As a result, everyone close to me is in a state of studied chaos. I've packed up almost an entire house, with my mother's help, and she's still nagging me to "get things done". The kids are going off the wall because I've been going through their things and tossing stuff deemed not fit to enter 'my house'. "YOU'RE NOT THROWING THAT AWAY! I NEED THAT!"

Even Gerry is doing his thing and prepping for the move, which in itself is shocking because he does nearly everything on the fly. He might think about something for six months, but once he decides it's the right thing he wants it done yesterday. He has actually taken the trouble to pack things in boxes. During his last move everything was crammed in like, six boxes and the rest was stuffed in plastic bags or tossed in his garage.

Which brings me to the fact that because of this move, we've talked of nothing but furniture placement, draperies, big screen plasma tv's, schools, big screen plasma tv's, new stools for the island in the kitchen, and big screen plasma tv's. Geez, you think Gerry wants a new big screen plasma tv?

The new house, which is actually about 50 years old and getting extensive renovations before we move in, is actually going to look really beautiful when the contractors are done with it. It has what is basically a dream kitchen, beautiful new floors, and all kinds of bells and whistles. Our friend who owns the home and is doing the renos is basically catering to our wants because he wants us there for a long time. Kind of like the I Love Lucy Show where the Ricardos sign a 99 year lease over to the Mertzes. They added a new fireplace in the living room on the main floor, and lo and behold, isn't there a framed space above it for a plasma. Not just any old tv, but a 55 inch space for an enormous frigging monstrosity of a plasma. I happen to know it's 55 inches because Gerry's already measured it. According to him, it'll look stupid if we put anything smaller there.

My only bone of contention with this lovely house is the shelving. Our friend decided to put built in shelves on either side of the fireplace, and they do look great. My theory is, though, if you're going to have shelves, they have to be functional or they just take up space. Meaning, if I have to have shelves, they have to serve a real purpose, 'cause I hate clutter.

Anyway, the homeowner went on vacation during Christmas, and the contracting crew were left to their own devices while our friend was gone. One day, we dropped by to see how the place was progressing, and saw they had put in the built in bookshelves. Great. The only problem was, on one side, they had built an abnormally tall, shallow shelf. I assumed they were fitting an extra shelf in between. They told me no, it was to be used to 'put a tall vase or something in'. Hmph. I'm thinking to myself, I don't have a tall vase to put in this ridiculous shelf, I don't want a tall vase, and I certainly don't plan on buying a tall vase to accomodate this young upstart of a contractor who took it upon himself to 'design' our shelving.

Long story short, after much bitching in Gerry's ear and him finally throwning his hands up in the air and exclaiming "ALRIGHT! I'll find some way to split the shelf!" I was happy. I felt a little guilty after and I'm sure that Gerry was suddenly seeing me in a new light. His low maintenance, easy going girlfriend was suddenly morphing into THE WIFE who has an input on all decisions regarding where we live. He knows I'm willing to compromise, though. He gets his big screen plasma, and I get both master bedroom closets. He gets the garage, and I get the bathroom to do with what I wish. It's a win-win situation. He no longer has to rely on takeout for dinner and I don't have to do home repairs all by myself anymore.

And the best part is, now I get to cuddle up to him every night, and it's a permanent thing, not just a date. That's why we're doing this whole thing, after all, and it's something I try never to lose sight of.